Square.



THOMAS C. HOWLAND, OF LOOH ARBOR, NEW JERSEY.

SQUARE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 13, 1909.

Application filed March 15, 1909. Serial No. 483,476.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS C. IIOWLAND, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Loch Arbor, in the county of Monmouth and State of NewJersey, have invented a new and Improved Square, of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention is an improvement in squares of the character embodyingseparable arms, and has in view a construction in which one of the armsis provided with a longitudinal slot isolated from the outer edgesthereof, and provided with a groove at one side extending from the slotthrough the inner side edge, said slot being relatively wider at theside of the square having the groove than at the opposite side, theother arm of the square having an end portion to fit into said slot andgroove, and screws or similar revoluble devices carried by one of thearms and having heads movable into ongagement with the other arm andthus locking the two arms together.

The preferred form of the square further includes a flat springoperating to press that portion of one of the arms within the slot ofthe other arm, to its seat and preventmg possible play between theparts.

Reference is'to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a face view of a square embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is aperspective view of the two arms when disassembled; Fig. 3 is a sectionon the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow; Fig. 4is a section on the line 4-4t of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a section on the line55 of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a face view of a modified construction of thesquare; and Fig. 7 is a section on the line 7 7 of Fig. 6.

In constructing the arms 10 and 11 of the square so that they may bereadily assembled and detached and accurately and positively joined andsecured together, I provide the arm 10 with a longitudinal slot 12, ofsubstantial length, adjacent to one end of the arm but isolated from theedges thereof, and further construct it with a groove 13 of a depthequal to about one-half the thickness of the square, extending from theouter end of the slot to the inner side edge of the arm. The other arm11 of the square I construct with an end. portion 14; to snugly fit andconform to the slot 12 and the groove 13, that portion fitting withinthe slot extending at right-angles to the arm 11, and that portionfitting within the groove being cut out on its under face to admit ofthe two arms being flush at both sides when they are properly assembled.As best shown in Fig. 5, the edges of the slot 12 and portion 14 of thearm 11 have inclined or bevel edges, making the slot 12 wider at thatside of the square having the groove 13 than at the opposite and underside, this feature of construction providing a seat for the portion 14Lof the arm 11, on the arm 10, and preventing the said portion fromfalling through the slot 12. In that form of the invention shown inFigs. 1 to 5 inclusive, that edge of the groove 13 adjacent to the outerend of the arm 10 is undercut or dovetailed; and at the opposite side ofthe arm, notches or undercut por tions 15 are formed at each end of theslot 12. The portion 14: of the arm 11 is grooved longitudinally, asindicated at 16, on its upper face, with the bottom of the groovetapering downwardly from the center toward each end, as shown in Fig.4;.

Arranged within the groove 16 is a flat spring 17 secured near one endthereof to the portion 14: by a screw 18. The ends of the spring projectslightly beyond each end of the portion 14: of the arm 11, and that partof the portion 14 which fits within the groove 13 is beveled at itsouter edge to lit and conform to the dovetailed edge of this groove.Engaged in the base of the groove 13 is a screw 19, the head of whichwhen in one position is adapted to pass through an elongated opening 20formed in the portion 14, and when turned at right-angles to thisposition, locking the two arms of the square together, as shown in Figs.1 and 6. A further locking screw 21 is threaded in the arm 10 adjacentto the slot 12 and groove 13, and is provided with a head, in oneposition, as shown in Fig. 2, admitting of the assembling of the twoarms of the square, and in another position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 6,overlying and bearing on the portion 14; of the arm 11.

In assembling the arms of the square, the portion 1.4: is first engagedwith the outer edge of the slot and groove, for which purpose the arm 11is held in a downwardly and outwardly-inclined position relatively tothe arm 10, and the outer end of the spring 17 passed under the notchedor undercut por tion 15. WVith the screw 19 in register with theelongated opening 20, the outer end portion of the part 14k is pressedto its seat in the slot 12, the free end of the spring 17 being bowed orbuckled sufliciently to pass it into the opposite notched or cut-outportion 15, as illustrated in Fig. at. The screws 19 and 21 are thengiven a quarter turn to positively lock the two arms together, thesescrews in connection with the spring, operating to prevent any possiblelooseness between the arms or the working of one upon the other. Inorder that the disengagement of the free end of the spring 17 may beeasily performed when the two arms are to be detached, I provide a notch22 in the edge of the groove 16, adjacent to the free end of the spring.In this notch a screw driver or other equivalent device may be insertedfor prying the spring outwardly.

The modified form of the invention shown in Figs. (3 and 7, is in allrespects the same as the construction described except that the spring17, and the groove 16 in which it seats, are omitted, as also theundercut portions 15 in the arm 10, to receive the ends of the spring.Further, instead of undercutting or dovetailing the outer edge of thegroove 13 only, this dovetailing is continued across the slot 12, and alocking screw 23 is threaded in the arm 10 and is arranged in suchproximity to the slot that its head in one position will overlie andbear on the portion 14 of the arm 11 when the latter is seated in theslot 12, this screw, like the screw 21, having a flattened portion toadmit of the removal and insertion of the portion 14; of the arm 11 whendesired.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

1. A square having two separable arms, one of the arms having alongitudinal slot isolated from the outer edges thereof, and providedwith a groove at one side extending from the slot through the inner sideedge of the arm, said slot being relatively wider at the side of thesquare having the groove than at the opposite side, the other arm havingan end portion to fit into said slot and groove and provided with anelongated opening, and a revoluble member engaged in the bottom of thegroove, having a head, in one position adapted to pass through said opening and in another position adapted to lock the two arms of the squaretogether.

2. A square having two separable arms, one of the arms having alongitudinal slot and provided with a groove at one side extending fromthe slot through the inner side edge of the arm, the other arm having anend portion to seat on the edges of the slot and fitting into thegroove, and a screw threaded into one of the arms, having a headextending farther from the body of the screw at one point than atanother, to admit when in one position of the assembling anddisassembling of the arms, and in another position overlying and bearingon the other arm and locking the two arms together.

3. A square having two separable arms, one of the arms having a.longitudinal slot and provided with a groove at one side extending fromthe slot through the inner side edge of the arm, the other arm having anend portion fitting within the slot and groove and seating on the edgesof a head, and a screw threaded into the arm having the slot adjacent tothe slot and groove, the said head extending farther from the body ofthe screw at one pointthan another to admit when in one position of theassen'ibling and disassembling of the arms, and in another positionadapted to bear on the portion of the arm fitting within the groove andslot.

1. A square having two separable arms, one of the arms having alongitudinal slot isolated from the outer edges thereof and providedwith a groove at one side extending from the slot through the inner sideedge of the arm, the other arm having an end portion to fit into thesaid slot and groove and seat on the edges of the slot, and a flat.spring engaging at its ends with the arm having the slot, and bearing onsaid end portion of the arm and locking the two arms together.

5. A square having two separable arms, one of the arms having alongitudinal slot isolated from the outer edges thereof and providedwith a groove at one side extending from the slot through the inner sideedge of the arm, said slot being relatively wider at the side of thesquare having the groove than at the opposite side and having notchesatthe ends, the other arm having an end portion to fit into said slotand groove, and a flat spring attached to the said end port-ion of thelast mentioned arm and having the ends thereof arranged to engage insaid notches and lock the two arms together.

6. A square comprising two separable arms, one of the arms having alongitudinal slot and the other arm having an end portion adapted to fitinto said slot and seat on the edges thereof, said end portion of thearm having a longitudinal channel, the bottom of which tapers downwardlyfrom an intermediate point toward eachend, and a spring secured withinsaid channel, having projecting end portions to engage with the otherarm of the square and lock the two arms together.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS C. HOIVLAND.

Vitnesses PHINEAS PRoo'roR, GEORGE C. J ONES.

